BSF Minutes of Meeting 17.06.2010

7/28/2019 BSF Minutes of Meeting 17.06.2010

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Bristol Somali Forum Meeting

BSF

Date: 17 June 2010

Time:11.00 am 1.00 pm

Venue:Barton Hill Settlement

Type of meeting: BSF monthly meeting Chaired by: Abdi Mohamed

Present BSF Management Committee

Dheeho Yusuf, Deputy ChairSaid Burale, TreasurerAbdi Mohamed, Secretary

In attendance: Full Name Organisation/Representing

Hibo Elmi Somali Mental Health & Drugs Project

Abdullahi Farah Somali Resource Centre

Omar Sabriye Community Elder/Somali Resource CentreKhalif Nur Amana/Hannah More Primary School

Ahmed Abdi Towfiq Mosque and Community Centre/

Barton Hill Primary School/Somali ResourceMohamoud Mumin Amana

Ahmed Mohamed Bristol Somali Youth & Cultural Society (BSYCS)

Also present: Roger Allen BCC Housing

Anne James BCC Equality & Community CohesionAbdiAziz Hassan British Red Cross

Mukhtar Abdi Bilingual Family Mentoring ProjectKeith Openshaw Avon and Somerset Police

SGT Jon Ames Avon and Somerset Police

Apologies: Apologies were received from:

Latif Ismail Mohamed IsmailMohamoud Matan Ian Quaife

Minutes

1. Abdi took the chair and welcomed everyone.

2. Minutes of Previous Meeting

1. The Minutes of the previous meeting held on 20th May 2010 were

agreed.

2. Matters arising:2.2.1 None.


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3. BSF Update

1. Dheeho Yusuf, BSF Deputy Chair, reported that the Management

Committee had a meeting with Gillian Douglas, Equalities and

Community Cohesion Manager, and discussed with her about the

development and progress of the Forum including:

1.Resources both on the short and long-term future of

the Forum.

2. Launching event the official launching event of the Forum

and recognition of its achievements so far.

3. Commissioning process how the Forum can strategically

participate the Councils commissioning process.

4. Influencing strategic boards the Forum must be enabled to

influence strategic boards and forums in the city, such as:

1.The Race Forum

2.Bristol Partnership

3.Safer Bristol

4.Black Consortium Group

2.The bi-monthly meeting between Bristol City Council (BCC) andthe Somali community the Forum will have a bigger role. BCC will

plan and deliver all future meetings in partnership with the Somali

Forum.

4. Equalities

1. Anne James (AJ), Principal Equalities Officer, presented a report about

equalities information briefing particularly, Data Gathering: data on

service uptake, satisfaction and employment.

2. AJ explained the importance of equalities mappingand said that

equalities legislation and the Equality Framework for Local Government

required local authorities to measure the equalities profile of its

workforce, service uptake, service satisfaction and equality outcomes.

3. In her report, AJ noted the following points:

1. The 2001 Census estimated that there were 5 300 Black

Africans, including Somalis, in Bristol (2008 estimates). This is

1.4% of the local population.

2. If the Somali people complete and return the census forms at

the next census in 2011, then we will have more reliable


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figures on what is the % of Somali people in the local

population and their social and economic needs.

3. In order to influence decision making, you need the right

statistics.

4. Employment Bristol City Council have:

1. 24 Somali employees (0.2%) including those who work in

schools.

2. 150 Black African employees (1%).

3. 6.8% BME employees within the total council workforce

including schools.

4. Somalis areunder-represented in the workforce.

5. Housing Bristol City Council have:

1. 746 Somali tenants (2.2%).

2. 1054Black African tenants.

3. Somalis are over-represented as tenants in an

advantageous service.

6. Education in 2008 there were 196 Somali children in nursery

school which was 6.4% of the total number of children and 1749

children in primary and secondary schools which was 3.8% ofthe total number of children.

7. At the moment we would estimate only 1.2% of service uptake

to be from Somali population.

8. If the census 2011 reports the figure to be nearer 3% of the

population then this becomes our new measurement.

4. In response to questions about the percentage of Black young

offenders, attainment in schools and equalities training, AJ said that

the Forum must contact relevant persons/managers to find out specific

information.

Action Responsible Deadline

BCC to provide Equalities Training to the

Somali Forum and its members

Abdi Mohamed To be agreed

Identify contact persons/managers for improving

attainment, young offenders, adult education, etc

Dheeho Yusuf ASAP

Workshops for employment applications AJs

colleague, Simon Nelson, is organising.

Abdi Mohamed To be agreed

with Simon Nelson


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and Anne James

1. Somali Resource Centre (SRC)

1. Abdullahi Farah (AF), SRC Manager, informed the group that SRC was

established in 2006 to respond to the needs of the local Somali

community. SRC has provided the following services:

1. Community cohesion and integration to promote greater

integration and cohesion at a neighbourhood level, and city wide.

2. Capacity building to enable Somalis to develop and/or enhance their

skills, but also to positively contribute to the success of the local

communities and to society.

3. Advocacy support provision for:

1. Victims of domestic violence.

2. Families with children in the care system.

3. Victims of racial and institutional discrimination.

4. Newly arrived individuals.

5. Families with children at risk of coming in contact with the

criminal justice.

1. Mediation services:

1. Community mediation.

2. Family mediation.

2. Information, Advice and Guidance on:

1. Welfare.

2. Housing.

3. Immigration.

4. Education and employment.

2. AF said that they have had 1.5 full-time staff and 4 volunteers, and

some of the board members work as volunteers in relation to a

question about the number of staff that deliver the range of services

on offer.

2. British Red Cross

1. AbdiAziz Hassan, Project Coordinator, presented information about the

British Red Cross and its services. There was a lack of information and


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awareness among the Somali community in Bristol. The following

services were on offer:

1. First Aid training

2. Tracing Services

3. Refugee Services


First Aid training Abdi Mohamed To be agreed with

AbdiAziz Hassan

Information about BRCs tracing and refugee

services

Abdi Mohamed Contact AbdiAziz

ASAP

3. Bilingual Family Mentoring Project

1. Mukhtar Abdi (MA), Bi-lingual Family Project Co-ordinator, said that the

project was funded by CYPS; although it is based at the City Academy, it is

for the city wide.

2. MA also noted the following key points:

1. The aim of the project is to improve attainment, increase employability

and build social cohesion.2. Dealing with attendance and isolation issues are integral part of the

project.

3. The project also advocates on behalf of clients.

4. The project has 4 Somali speaking staff, 2 Polish speakers, 1 Urdu

Punjabi speaker and 2 ESOL tutors.

5. Each of the project staff has a target of 10 cases for every three months.

6. The project used to work in conjunction with the Recession Mitigation

Project.

3. The following statements were noted in the ensuing discussion:

1. The project does not only provide ESOL tutors for children, but pays their

travel expenses too that is to attend school and out of school support

classes.

2. The Somali Forum is a good platform to use and engage with

organisations and agencies, both statutory and voluntary.


Somali Forum must take the lead and coordinate Management To be


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activities Committee agreed

4. BSF Stop Press

1. Said Burale and Abdi Mohamed stressed the need to return completed

membership forms with fees so as to formalise the Forums memberships.

2. None of the member organisations has returned the membership form

circulated by Said Burale, the Forums Treasurer, on Tuesday 18 May 2010.

3. According to the Forums constitution, each group must have completed a

membership application form giving the details required.

4. Forums membership needs to be renewed annually.

5. Clause 21 (Forum Constitution) states:

Each groups membership and commitment to the Forum shall

be renewed every year, giving up-to-date details on the

Application Form (but a groups constitution and rules only

need sending again if they have changed).


Remind member organisations to complete and

return their membership form, with the annualfee.

Said Burale Before the

next meetingon 15 July 2010

1. AOB1. SGT Jon Ames, Neighbourhood Police Team Sergeant, talked

about criminal activity in the area and issues related to

Towfiq Mosque, the new mosque in Barton Hill. The sergeant

said that:

1.Somalis were concerned about issues around the mosque,

and we have engaged with them through to the mosque

leadership and provided support for the mosque.

2.We have monitored the Face Book site against the mosque

No we do not want a mosque in Barton Hillwhich has

become anti-Islamic.

3.A large number of crimes have been reported in the area.

4.Culprits were both non-Somalis and Somalis.5.PCSOs will have had the responsibility to look after the

Mosque.


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2. Members of the group also noted the following:

1.Somalis were seriously concerned about drug related

issues.

2.Some of the local people felt uneasy about the number of

Somali people in the area.

3.A review of the security of the mosque has indicated that

the mosque was secure structurally overall.

4.Funding was being sought to make sure the shell of the

building is secure too.


Increase awareness of the Neighbourhood Watch

activities among Somalis by liaising with

Keith Openshaw

Management

Committee

By 15 July 2010

3. Tennant Participation

1.Roger Allen mentioned that specific training for Basic Food

Hygiene Certificate can be organised for the Somalis

(maybe in September).

2.Housing policies around security and visiting homes werebeing developed.

Date of Next Meeting:

Date: 15th July 2010

Time: 11.00 am to 1.00 pm

Venue: Barton Hill Settlement

41-43 Ducie Road

Lawrence Hill, Bristol BS5 0AX

Future Dates 2010

August September October November December12 09 07 04 02

Documents

BSF Minutes of Meeting 17.06.2010